Senegal Questions

TIKI

New member
Aug 13, 2011
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We have had our 2 year old Senegal for about a week and so far we have had no problems. I realize there is an adjusting period to a new home and for him to get used to the family and us to him. Up until two days ago he has very gentle and playful I was able to hand him one of his wooden toys to chew on while he was out of the cage playing around on the coffee table, but now when I hand him the toy he quickly charges my hand and bites, he did the same thing when I held his water dish up to see if he wanted a drink. I assume this is a territorial thing because it only happens when his possessions are in the picture. I am looking for advice on how to deal with this. Thanks
 
sorry to read this, and same as my nut, once hunnymoon periods over they get a little bitey (alot with my nut!) but don't let this worry you, as my nut is very managable now, a few trial an errors etc but well worth the effort an plasters :(:D

whats your routine with bird, as in

out of cage time

size of his cage

flighted or clipped

where cage is placed

who does bird seem to prefer (a this does change!)

diet

an how many in house hold including pets

lol seems like an endless question for a simple one, but it all helps on you getting the best advice, that you can taylor around your routine/family life
 
There is a honeymoon or adjustment phase that birds go through when you first get them like Sue pointed out. Although Tiki is a very sweet and loving bird, she will also charge my hand even if I'm offering her a treat when she is outside of her cage. But this is usually because she doesn't want to be bothered at that moment.

It will take time for your bird to come to trust you and bond with you. There is also the possibility the bird will bond with someone else. But give it time, it can take weeks or even months to build up a working relationship with your bird.

Senegal's have the personality that one minute they are sweet and cuddly and the next minute they want to be nippy or pinchy or Beaky. That is why I refer to them as the Dr. Jekyl & Mr. Hyde of the parrot world.

One thing to remember, if your bird bites you, DO NOT YELL, SNATCH YOUR HAND AWAY or SCREAM. Don't acknowledge the bite by saying anything, just push your hand into his chest, which will put him off balance. He will quickly learn that not only does he not get the reaction out of you that he was expecting, he gets an adverse reaction that HE DOESN"T LIKE much.
 
My Sennie does the same thing. It's part of their quirky, psycho nature. My Sennie will also decide he now wants to attack a toy and will scream and flap at it. It's what makes them special. I love my Sennie, I call him Mookie-Monster (his name is Mookie)lol!
 
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Thanks for your help here are a few answers for you.


whats your routine with bird, as in

out of cage time = 2 to 3 hours a day, mostly in the evenings.

size of his cage = 32” long x 24” wide x 34” high.

flighted or clipped = Clipped.

where cage is placed = In my Daughters room.

who does bird seem to prefer (a this does change!) = Unsure at this point.

diet = Mainly seeds and some pellets, we were instructed to let him settle in to the new home and to start to change him over to more pellets and less seed also start fruits and vegetables.

an how many in house hold including pets = Myself, wife, 15 yr. old daughter, and a dog.
 
humm how long is your daughter in her room during the day??

2/3 hours out of cage time is good, but during the day if he is alone, not so good, i think try his main cage in the main family room, even if he is left in the cage he can watch what goes on etc thats how so******ation will start and the more familiar he gets with you all the more comfortable he will be being handled
but don't expect too much at this point

try to keep to a routine with his out of cage time

he needs 10hrs plus sleep a night in a quiet area in the house, so he can go into a travel cage in your daughters room etc

diet plan looks fine, try corn on cob on a bird kebab, this is messy but will be a good time killer an toy, i let nut have a quarter a day (raw or cooked)

also what toys does he seem to like the most?? nut likes anything she can shred or destroy, as its also important that they have things to do when in the cage

it can get very stressfull when so******ing especially when they start biting, if you offer anything an he bites you, take it away! nut bit me once when i offered her a treat, i ate it in front of her, and she never bit me again when i offered her treats, but she is not motivated by food or treats so made so******ing/training a tad difficult

watch body language, even a turning of the head is a polite no, walking away, lowering head and body with wings parted, parting of beak are all stages of a warning of a impending bite

i can't help but yelp when nut bites me, i'm not dramatic, but when nut bites she BITES, i always say *NO BITE and give her a very dirty look! just as we need to watch there body language, they also watch ours!

but punishment for any bite must be done asap after bite, weather it be cage time or a tellin off

head rubs are nuts fav :) but she only really allows me or my man to give them, an only my son if we are not in!

before giving head rub say or do a specific words/action (same for every1) if head bows down thats a yes, do not rub down back, belly area (these are sexual) only head an cheeks, top of beak

family meals are nuts fav time, as she gets a healthy share! next to baths

hope this helps some, but patiance is the key, but don't be lulled into a false sense of security, nut use to bow for a head rub an bite me when i walked over to her?? it takes a few good months before you learn all there sneaky ways! an they will always find new sneaky ways to throw you off guard!

keep us up dated!
 
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Thanks for the advice, I will keep you posted.
 

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